


Happy Birthday, Eren

by midnightninja14



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Character Death, Drabble, Erenweek prompt, Gen, Tragedy, sort of happy ending?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-01
Updated: 2014-04-01
Packaged: 2018-01-17 18:48:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1398613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnightninja14/pseuds/midnightninja14
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren was tired. All he wanted was to sleep.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Happy Birthday, Eren

**Author's Note:**

> For Erenweek Day 07: Happy Birthday
> 
> It's kinda late, oops. It's also sad, I'm sorry! It hasn't been beta-ed, so apologies for any mistakes I didn't catch!

He was tired. 

Eren was tired of it all, the bloodshed, the tears, the anger. The never-ending grief and death. The screams of the injured and the dying that haunted him. 

He often wondered if things would ever be different, if one day he'd be happy and _free_. If one day he'd be able to fall asleep without suffering nightmares that had him wake up terrified and screaming. Nightmares that rendered him unable to fall asleep again. He wondered if there would ever be a time where everyone could just focus on _living_ and not worry about dying constantly, not worry about the threat of the Titans. 

As he lay on the cold ground, he could hear the sounds of the battle raging on around him. It was loud, loud, _loud_ \-- and then it was all silent. There was nothing to be heard except for the sound of the rain pouring down from the sky. The rain washed some of his blood away, the water in the puddle around him tinting red. When Eren concentrated, he could hear the faint panting of a comrade not too far from him, but he had no strength to move. He had no strength to call out to the person; all he could do was listen and look. 

Had they won? Was it all over? He wanted desperately to yell for someone, anyone, but he found himself unable to. Instead, he felt tears of frustration begin to stream down his cheeks, blending with and disappearing in the rain. Was he still weak in the end?

He felt like a child. With that feeling, Eren remembered something he had forgotten in the midst of battle. He was a year older today. It was his birthday; he was born on this day all those years ago. 

(It was ironic that he felt like he was dying on the day of his birth. He supposed his birthday gift was that he felt no pain.)

His thoughts drifted to those he cared about, his superiors, his friends, his family. He wondered if his mother could see him now; he wondered if she would be proud of him. She would probably be mad that he still ended up joining the Survey Corps, despite her protests against the idea. 

He hoped she would forgive him for disobeying her wishes. He hoped she would still love and accept him even though he was now a Titan. He was one of the monsters that everyone loathed and feared. Carla Jaeger was nothing if not kind though, so he was fairly certain she would love him either way.

He missed his mother. He missed her desperately. Of all the faces and voices that haunted his dreams, hers were the most prevalent. Her warm, brown eyes that had been wide in fear, brimming with tears as she lay beneath the remains of their home. Her pleas for him and Mikasa to live, as Hannes carried them away. Away, away, and she had grown smaller in his vision as the distance between them grew. 

He remembered her screams as the Titan picked her up and-- _and_ \--! ...And he remembered seeing red. 

(Red from his rage or red from all the blood, he didn't know anymore.)

Eren managed a weak chuckle at his thoughts. Some birthday he was having. He couldn't even feel happy about it. He only felt tired now. 

Tired, he was so tired. All he wanted to do was rest. But rest was something scarce to him, the nightmares made him hesitant to sleep. Besides, he was sure the Corporal wouldn't approve of him sleeping on the filthy ground. He needed to get up, he had to find his friends, make sure everyone was okay...

Eren suddenly heard a soft humming; a sweet, familiar tune that made Eren feel safe. He felt fingers brushing through his hair in a calming manner, and he felt as though his head was suddenly resting on someone's lap. Blue-green eyes wandered upwards and met warm, brown eyes. A proud smile was directed at him and Eren found himself smiling back. 

"Mom..." He whispered weakly, overjoyed to see her again. He had missed her terribly, so terribly. 

"Hello, my precious son. I'm so proud of you, you've fought so hard," Carla Jaeger wiped the tears and rain from his cheeks with a thumb, "You can rest now, baby."

 _I missed you. I'm so happy to see you, mom._

"I know. Just rest now; you've done so well, my sweet child." 

_Thank you, mom._ Eren had a gentle smile on his face as his eyes fluttered close. 

"You’re free now, Eren. You've won. Happy birthday, my son."


End file.
